Exploring the Influence of Social Roles and Norms on Identity and Choice

Given Merleau-Ponty deemed it necessary to conclude PoP with a reflection on the nature of freedom tells us of the importance he placed on the idea. In this lecture then I want to do three specific things. Firstly, I will explain what Merleau-Ponty has to say about the experience of time. This is important because Merleau-Ponty’s philosophical defence of freedom is inseparable from the question of temporality. This runs counter to conventional accounts of freedom in philosophy – free will versus determinism – In the second section, I explain how Merleau-Ponty constructs an alternative account of freedom as a form of self-awareness. In the last section I outline Merleau-Ponty’s own theory of human freedom.

These lectures are brought to you by Staffordshire University's Philosophy team. Come study on our MA in Continental Philosophy via this link. Or, join our MA in Philosophy of Nature, Information and Technology via this link. You can join the course F/T or P/T in January or September. Find out more about me here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.